I went into mourning like a Sicilian widow when The Market closed in Santa Maria. I miss their hearty and creative dishes and their uniquely down-home take on fine dining. There are plenty of good restaurants (and great ones) that fill the void the eatery, which closed in 2016, left behind. But it wasn’t until I ventured into The Burton House and Grill that I felt reminded of that same vibe so close to where I live.
Burton House, which opened in November 2016, is the brainchild of proprietor and general manager Anthony Clayton, Executive Chef Armida Garcia, and operations manager Bill Guilfoyle. This marks the first time Clayton, an experienced management professional, has owned a restaurant. For Guilfoyle, it’s his first time working in a restaurant. Both are former service members—Clayton served in the Navy, and Guilfoyle was in the Marine Corps.
It would take the bravery of someone trained for combat to put a steakhouse near one of the most famous ones in Central California. From Burton House, it’s a short walk to Jocko’s, a place people will literally stand outside for hours waiting to get into. It’s like opening a mouse-themed amusement park for kids next to Disneyland—the competition is going to be stiff, to say the least.
But Clayton doesn’t see it that way. He believes the venture offers a completely different experience than mainstay steakhouses in the region.
“We don’t have a bar, like a lot of our contemporaries,” he said. “They have great food, but [the bar] is a major part of the draw there. We’re a pure restaurant. We’re for people who are just foodies who really enjoy food.”
One look at the menu and that’s instantly clear. Dishes at Burton House are decidedly ambitious and Epicurean. Every dish takes an extra step. Take for example the pork chop dish, which is finished off in a tamarind glaze and served with a green mole sauce. Even the scallops come seared with a ginger lime beurre blanc, making it a sophisticated entree in the steak house arena.
The menu also features vegetarian options, including a five-cheese macaroni and cheese, pasta alla Bolognese, and a wild mushroom risotto. Appetizers include portobello mushroom ravioli in a porcini butter sauce and a mojito ceviche. The Burton House’s take on ceviche features white fish in rum, which is probably the most pirate-inspired way to enjoy a fish appetizer.
But enough about the fish and vegetables, you’re screaming, tell us about the steak. If the idea of mustard-crusted salmon with tarragon and wine sauce in a steakhouse turns you into the old man yelling at clouds, remember: Burton’s is still a traditional steakhouse.
Offering a filet mignon at $33 and a New York Strip at $37, the eatery dives head first into old-school steakhouse territory. It’s no accident that Frank Sinatra pumps out of the loudspeaker as diners saw into their strip steaks.
I went straight for the New York strip, a 12-ouncer seared with a perfect crust. Avoiding daintily plated constructions, Burton House’s steak dishes are piled high with vegetables and sides, with the meat front and center. The dish conjures up the spirit of Prohibition-era steakhouses like New York City’s Gallagher’s, where movie stars swilled martinis and politicians gnawed on the end of a cigar while talking over a plate of perfectly seared meat.
Burton House’s steak sauces come in four varieties: chimichurri, whiskey peppercorn, béarnaise, and a cabernet reduction. For my steak, I ordered the whiskey peppercorn, a well-balanced sauce that was sweet and vibrant. But I warn you, if aggressive spice isn’t your style you should opt for the chimichurri or cab reduction because the sauce packs a wallop of peppery flavor.
One major highlight of our dinner was the salted caramel pot. It’s one of those beautifully simple dishes, which tastes elegant and refined just by its own nature. Burton House offered a classic rendition that comes off as unique and brand new.
I’m not alone in my appreciation for what Burton House is trying to accomplish. Yelpers, notoriously nitpicky and savage, have propped Burton House up to four stars, which is a remarkable achievement for any restaurant less than a year old. While it’s certainly true that some dishes need refinement or tweaking, the overall fine dining experience is there.
For now, the restaurant’s goal is to provide the best possible product for their growing customer base, one that they’re still learning about.
“The biggest challenges change through different stages,” Clayton explained. “Right now, the biggest one is learning our culture, our neighbors—what they want or what they don’t want.”
Another challenge is learning entirely new jobs and skills. Front of the house is such a relentlessly tough job in the restaurant industry that even a former Marine who served in Afghanistan like Guilfoyle found it challenging. It’s one thing to respond to barked orders under the stress of a combat drill; it’s quite another to please a fussy diner complaining about a potato gallette.
“Every day is a learning experience,” Guilfoyle said. “There was a training period in the beginning where I was working on honing my skills to work front of the house. But now I think I know what I need to be doing and how.”
The Burton House also offers some unique specials and features, including an early bird dinner buffet Thursdays through Sundays from 3 to 5 p.m. The buffet is free for “super seniors,” patrons age 80 and older. In addition to regular dinner service and the early bird buffet, Burton House also serves up brunch with bottomless mimosas and champagne Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
While it may take some time before the team knows if their gamble paid off, for now they’re happy to serve the people who have discovered them. Clayton said the venue has already attracted some regulars, including a woman who comes a few days a week.
“She sits in the table with her book,” he said, pointing to a window table as another Sinatra tune played over the sound system. “She jokes that she comes here for her ‘date with Frank.’”
Rebecca Rose loves Frank Sinatra. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
If you got suckered by a terrible April Fool’s Day prank, I’ve got your back. This weeks picks won’t fool you into trying something bad! (I’m awful at these puns, but I promise my picks are on point):
• PRAISE THE HEAVENS! Bacon and Brine is now serving breakfast. I know, I can’t believe I actually typed those words either. This is a gift, Central Coast foodies. Starting April 7, the famed eatery will be serving up everything from grits, gravy, biscuits, cast iron pancakes, and a whole lot more. Rise and shine and get there Fridays through Sundays from 8 to 11 a.m. for their morning grub at 1618 Copenhagen Drive in Solvang.
• The Rice Bowl in Lompoc (pictured) is a Chinese restaurant in a beautiful vintage diner that’s been in downtown for more than 75 years. The décor inside is like David Lynch meets Mad Men. I love their General Tso’s chicken and pork lo mien, but if you really want to go old school, try the moo shu pork. Made with fresh cabbage and to-die-for pork, this is a dish that won’t remind you of fast food Chinese. The restaurant is located at 117 W. Ocean Ave, Lompoc.
This article appears in Apr 6-13, 2017.